Sign-controlling appliance.



0. G. HUVER L H. DILK'S.

SIGN GONTROLLING APPLIANGE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.13, 1910. 979,956. Patented B80211910.

vn-IF NnRRis PETERS caiJwAsHlNsraN, n. cA

UNITE STATES PATENT FFGE.

CHARLES Gr. HUVER AND HAROLD DILKS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGN-CONTROLLING APPLIANGE.

' Application sled April 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES G. HUVER and HAROLD DILxs,l citizens of theUnited States, and residing in Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sign-Controlling Appliances, of which thefollowingis a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of devices known as flash signs, andour objects are, first, to provide a means whereby gas can be used forflashing the various sign characters, second, to provide means, wherebythe gas for the various sign characters can be automatically controlledand third, to provide means for bypassing the gas around the aforesaidautomatic means.

With these objects in view, our invention consists of certain novelfeatures of construction and arrangement of parts, as will hereinafterbe more fully described, and pointed out in the claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, in which,

Figure 1, is a view of a convenient embodiment of our said invention,and showing a section through the gas controlling means, together withan elevation and section of a sign to be automatically flashed and thesupply pipes to the various sign characters. Fig. 2, is an elevation ofFig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows more particularly the means of automaticcontrol of the gas to the supply pipes to the various sign characters,and is a section through A-B, Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, similar numerals of reference refer tocorresponding parts throughout the several views and in which,

1 designates a sign body, 2 the cover thereof and 3 securing screws forthe cover 2.

4 designates sign characters which are cut out of the cover 2.

The sign body 1, is provided with partitions 44, which prevent the lightfrom one sign character being seen in the adjacent ones, when the cover2 is secured to the sign body 1.

5 designates bosses on the sign body 1, to which are secured by sweatingor threaded engagement the supply pipes 6 to the sign characters 4.

36 designates the ordinary gas burner tips Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910. 1910. .serial No. 555,293.

which are secured in the usual manner to the supply pipes 6.

45 designates apertures in the lower part of the sign body 1 foradmitting air to the sign and 46 designates apertures in the upper partof the sign for the exhaust of the air.

7 designates a box containing the gas controlling mechanism. rIhe box 7is provided with a cover 8 and securing screws 9.

10 designates bosses of box 7 and to which are secured by sweating orthreaded engagement the pipes 6.

13 designates a circular plate having a hollow extended portion 12. Theend 34 of the hollow extended portion 12 is threaded and is secured to aboss 11 of the box 7 and also to the main source of gas supply.

14 designates a circular plate having a boss 15 extending from the same.

21 designates a cylindrical shaped part to which are secured by sweatingor threaded engagement pipe portions 23.

37 designates screws for securing the circular plates 13 and 14 to thepart 21.

22 designates bosses on the inner side of the box 7, and 24 designatespipes which are rigidly secured by sweating or threaded engagement tothe pipe portions 23 and the bosses 22.

17 designates a cup shaped part and from which extends perpendicularly ashaft portion 30. The boss 15 acts as a bearing to the shaft portion 30which is free to revolve therein.

18 designates a washer which is rigidly secured tothe shaft portion 30by means of a set screw 19 and serves to keep the cup shaped portion 17in position in conjunction with a spacer washer 40.

35 designates apertures in the lower portion of the part 17 and servesas a means for allowing the gas to get under the under portion of thepart 17 and the upper part of the part 14.

26 designates apertures arranged on the inner side of the part 21 andprovides a means for the flow of gas to the pipe portions 23.

25 designates apertures arranged on the upper and lower sides of the.part 21 and provides a bypass means for the How of gas to the pipeportions.

27 designates set screws arranged for limiting the flow of gas throughthe apertures 2 5.

20 designates apertures arranged on the periphery of the cup shaped part17 and suit-ably positioned opposite the apertures 26.

29 designates an operating means for the controlling mechanism and tothe shaft 38 of which is rigidly secured a gear 32 which meshes with agear 31 rigidly vsecured to the shaft 30.

Having thus described the various parts throughout the several views,its mode of operation will be substantially as follows: As the outercircumference of the part 17 is slightly less than the innercircumference of the part 21, it will be evident that upon therevolution of the shaft 33 of the operating means 29, this motion willbe transmitted to the shaft which will revolve the part 17. It will befurther evident that since the apertures 20 can be arranged as desiredon the circumference of the part 17, that the revolution of the part 17will cause a full How of gas to flow to the designating characters,whenever the apertures 20 are opposite the corresponding designatingcharacter aperture 26 and that upon further revolution that the fullflow of gas will be cut off and which will then flow at reduced pressurethrough the bypass aperture 25 and which will keep the light burning lowat the designating character but not observable on f the sign. It willbe further evident that upon further revolution of the part 17, that theaforesaid operation will be repeated and will cause the sign charactersto flash at full luminosity momentarily and then dim down so as to benot observable. It will also be evident that any desired sequence of theflashing of the sign characters can be had by suitably arranging theapertures 2O on the periphery of the. part l?, and therebyaoconiplishing the heretofore mentioned objects of our said invention.

7e do not wish to limit ourselves to the exact construction of theapparatus as shown and described, as it is obvious that slightVdepartures can be made therefrom within ary gas-chamber in the wallwhereof areV provided two series of outlet openings, one series providedwith adjustable means for regulating the passage of gas therethrough, acup-shaped receptacle mounted to revolve within said gas chamber andhaving a series of openings in the wall thereof adapted to register withthe other series of said outlet openings to permit of intermittentlysupplying gas therethrough, means for revolving said receptacle, pipingin communication with the two4 series of openings of said gaschamber andsaid piping terminating in jets in the compartments of said sign,substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our respective names to thisspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES G. HUVER. HAROLD DILKS.

Witnesses:

DAVID R. KNAPP, TOWARD S. GRosE.

